In 2013, this search brought him to Wat Pah Nanachat, a renowned international forest monastery in Thailand established under the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah. Immersed in monastic discipline and daily meditation, he gained a solid foundation in the Vinaya (monastic rules), chanting, and Dhamma study. For over one and a half years, he lived and practiced in this rigorous environment, but even there he noticed that meditation seemed effortful and progress plateaued. The practice felt incomplete, leaving him yearning for a direct and joyful connection to the Buddha’s original teachings.

Discovery of TWIM and Ordination under Bhante Vimalaramsi

In 2016, Bhikkhu Dhammagavesi encountered the teachings of Bhante Vimalaramsi, who had rediscovered the Buddha’s original meditation method through a careful study of the Pāli Canon. Bhante Vimalaramsi emphasized relaxation, smiling, and loving-kindness (mettā) as the key elements in the meditative process — a refreshing and deeply transformative approach compared to the more striving styles he had known before.

Inspired, Dhammagavesi Thero left Thailand to attend a Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation (TWIM) retreat in Bali, Indonesia, led by Bhante Vimalaramsi himself. During this retreat, he experienced a profound shift in his understanding: meditation could be gentle, joyful, and yet lead to deep states of stillness and insight. The Six Rs — Recognize, Release, Relax, Re-smile, Return, and Repeat — opened the way to effortless progress and the direct experience of the Seven Factors of Awakening.

Following the retreat, he decided to dedicate his life to this path and ordained as a novice monk under Bhante Vimalaramsi. Soon after, Bhante encouraged him to continue training under Venerable Khanti Khema in Sri Lanka, where he refined both his meditation and understanding of the Dhamma. In 2017, he received higher ordination (Upasampadā) in Penang, Malaysia, during Bhante Vimalaramsi’s Dhamma tour in Asia.

Spreading the Light of TWIM in Asia

After ordination, Venerable Dhammagavesi began supporting the mission of Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center (DSMC) in Asia. As Co-Director of Dhamma Sukha India’s Asian Projects, he helped to establish the Samatha-Vipassana Trust in Mumbai, a registered organization dedicated to organizing retreats, teacher trainings, and Dhamma tours for Bhante Vimalaramsi and Ven. Sister Khema throughout India and neighboring countries.

His work included coordinating TWIM retreats in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, and India, and introducing hundreds of new practitioners to the gentle and effective method of the Buddha’s original meditation. Venerable Dhammagavesi also began teaching online, offering one-on-one guidance and coaching to students around the world, always emphasizing kindness, ease, and the joyful unfolding of wisdom.

Teaching and Vision

By 2022, Bhikkhu Dhammagavesi began leading his own retreats and sharing the Dhamma independently. His teaching style reflects the same balance of wisdom and compassion that characterizes the TWIM lineage: gentle encouragement, humor, clarity, and a deep respect for the suttas as the Buddha’s living word.

His long-term aspiration is to establish a permanent TWIM monastery and meditation center in India, serving as a base for training future monastics, teachers, and lay practitioners. His vision is to restore the Buddha’s original teachings in their complete form — combining calm, insight, and loving-kindness — and to ensure that they continue to flourish across Asia for generations to come.